A Simple Seduction
by DeepShadows2
Summary: A Birthday treat for Dogedoos... Someone is keeping a Secret from Severus and he will try any means to find it out... Even A Simple Seduction... Read and Review...


**"A Simple Seduction"  
**_By: Deep Shadows and EckoStalker_

**Disclaimer:** Anything that is not ours is the product of Madam J.K. Rowling's Genius... Not us... We own Kelsey and the plot, but other than that, it's hers... And we don't even really own Kelsey...

**Author's Notes:** This is Dogedoo's AKA Kelsey's Birthday story, would you believe it too one day to plot it out and one night to write it... Enjoy it Kelsey and everybody else, review... The Next B-day story will be Ferpotter's even though her birthday came first... But how do you write soemthig for somebody that good?... Makes you feel kinda intimadated...  
Toodles, Deep Shadows

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Severus comfortably sat in the silent teacher's lounge, pouring over a book for a personal experiment of his own. Intent upon his solitude, he stolidly disregarded the opening of the door, not wishing to incite any conversation from this visitor. Subtly gazing towards the movement at the other end of the room, he spied Hogwarts new Muggle Studies Professor, Kelsey Deus, walking over to the supply closet. He watched curiously as she bobbed her head to nothing in particular, an odd gesture for her. Her rich brown hair seemed annoying untamed today, more frizzy than usual, as if she didn't even bother trying to contain it. Another thing that wasn't normal for her, and just incited Severus to more suspicion.

_She hasn't even acknowledged my presence... how typical... _He mused to himself as he watched her retrieve several quills and a small bottle of some unknown substance, reading it carefully.

This particular woman and himself had had many disagreements from practically the very start of her arrival at the school, merely over things Severus was right about and that she refused to admit. Or so he thought.

Setting his book in his lap and annoyed at her suspicious actions, he growled irritably. "What are you doing, Deus?" She pretended as if he didn't exist, no hints to that she acknowledged his question.

_Now that was blatant disrespect..._

Kelsey closed the closet, bottle and quills in her hand, turning around. Leading under her auburn, frizzled hair, he noticed two black cords dangling from where her ears must've been, leading to a single cord into her pocket. She halted suddenly, a shocked look overcoming her pasty features as she finally noticed Severus, the hand with the small bottle shooting into her pocket, where it gripped something else, most likely her wand.

"Snape. I didn't notice you..." She stated a bit distractedly, hand still in her pocket.

He snorted at her, curiously wondering what the black cords were. "Are you deaf as well as unobservant?" He snapped his lip curling in displeasure.

"Oh sorry, I was just... thinking about a spell. One I'm working on..." She mumbled, looking away from his piercing gaze, voice trailing off mid-sentence. Severus could pick out a lie anywhere and this one was staring in his face with blatant disregard.

"Oh? What kind of spell?" He mocked sarcastically, looking her over with scrutiny, evaluating her carefully. _What could a Muggle Studies Professor be making a new spell for?... _He asked himself, seeing Kelsey shuffle her feet nervously, bright hazel eyes darting towards the door.

She straightened then, looking at him blankly and spoke. "Good day Severus." With that she ended the conversation, walking out of the room without a second thought of him, purposely ignoring his question. Had she been a student, she'd be scrubbing cauldrons for a year. Severus shook his head and looked back down at his book, trying to regain his train of thought. But try as he might, the thought of her curious actions and evasive manner stole into his mind, picking at his curiosity until he could barely stand it any longer.

If there was one thing that irritated Severus the most, it was an unanswered question. _Damn that woman..._

Sighing frustrated to himself, he slammed his book close, putting it on a table beside him. Why he wanted to know what she was up to, he couldn't say, but damnit all, he wanted to know. Maybe it was the thought of her doing something he didn't know about and couldn't try and attempt to foil or turn into something better for his own credit. Or maybe he just had a curiosity that could kill a legion of cats. Whatever it was, it made him leave his comfortable seat and stalk out of the room.

He stomped down the hall, daring some unwary student to cross his path. He was just in the mood to take point away for things as insignificant as breathing, Slytherins included. That confounded woman had sparked his interest and then told him nothing. And now Severus wouldn't rest until he at least knew what the spell was for. He was determined to get an answer before the day was out.

He stepped into Deus's classroom once arriving, shaking his head at all the confusing Muggle gadgetry that didn't make the least bit of sense to him. He heard a noise from her office toward the back of the room and headed in that direction. He found her jotting furiously on a large sheet of parchment, head low over her desk.

Kelsey noticed another presence and looked up with surprise. Recognizing him, the parchment immediately disappeared into one of her many desk drawers, and she looked up at him wonderingly.

"Lost Severus?" She asked him, a distasteful drawl to her voice.

"No. I know perfectly well where I am. You mentioned that you were working on a spell earlier. What might this spell be for?" He asked in an equally distasteful tone of voice. He watched as she folded her hands on her desk giving him a blank stare. He also knew she had cleared her mind, being an expert at Occlumency.

"I don't think it is actually any of _your_ concern." Kelsey replied, and her glared at her.

"Everything that could be potentially dangerous to this school and its pupils is _my_ concern." He snarled, trying to intimidate her.

"Please... You could care less if students were Crucio-ing each other in the halls. And since when did your name become Albus Dumbledore? Last I checked the only person on these grounds I had to answer to was him..." She told him, getting up and walking toward the door which was behind him. Feeling irritated to the point of being sinister, her grabbed her arm and looked at her harshly.

"I could make your life a living hell you know." He hissed and she smiled at him, a hardened look in her hazel eyes that masked a light laughter.

"Try me." Kelsey barked at him, ripping her arm from his grasp and marching onward. She paused at the door and flicked her wand behind her, locking her desk.

"I would advise Severus, that you not be in my classroom when I return." She told him and then she walked out of the room. Severus was shocked. No person had ever spoke to him in such a manner and survived to tell the tale. Obviously whatever she was working on was either very dangerous or very powerful. Either way Severus had to find out and he realized that Kelsey Deus was going to be a hard one to crack. Resigned to plotting he headed back to the teacher's lounge, it nagging at him that she had not even seemed fazed by his threat.

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Kelsey walked in an amused mood, knowing that she was getting under Severus's skin quite effectively. She had just realized that she now had an amazingly sneaky hold over him, something to use against him, and after all the grief he had put her through already, she was going to use it, and without any regret.

She walked into the Transfiguration classroom, seeing Minerva McGonagall, once her own teacher, seated at her desk while her students were busy working. She approached the desk and the aged woman looked up from grading papers, smiling her pursed lip smile.

"Ms. Deus, what a surprise. Can I assist you with something?" She asked politely, several students looking up curiously, and Kelsey nodded.

"Could I have a word with you? That is, if I am not interrupting your class." She questioned lowly and the woman looked at her class, nodding her head as she stood, speaking out in an authoritive and serious voice. "You will continue working silently or there will be an extra foot of parchment on your assignment."

The curious students immediately bent low over their desks quite quietly, Minerva nodding with approval. She looked at Kelsey, asking. "My office?" And gestured behind her. Kelsey bowed her head, walking into the organized off, Minerva closing the door softly behind her.

"Yes Kelsey, what is it you needed?" She asked as she turned to her with a smile and Kelsey smiled back warmly.

"What if I told you I could make Severus pay for all the embarrassment and distress he has caused you?" She began and Minerva raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms with a small wary smirk.

"I would remind you that the Crutacious Curse is an Unforgivable. What do you mean?" She questioned curtly and a bit suspiciously, and Kelsey giggled a bit, explaining the situation between her and Severus and his want for her spell.

"And what would you need me for? Not that I am condoning this type of thing..." Minerva asked with a slight upturn of her mouth that indicated her hidden amusement. Kelsey smiled, plotting in her mind.

"Just to play along. He will be so embarrassed that he will match the Weasleys' hair color." She stated confidently and Minerva rubbed her temples in contemplation.

"And what makes you think he will fall into your trap?" She asked lowly, wanting to be sure before she agreed to anything and was caught by Severus in their own trap, something she knew Severus would never let her live down. Kelsey smirked evilly, looking confident as she mused.

"His self proclaimed quest for knowledge, that's what." She replied and Minerva nodded, smiling with satisfaction and knowing Severus's determinedness and sometimes egotistical nature would efficiently keep him unsuspecting of any plot.

"Alright, I will act the part with you. But if it backfires, I would have had nothing to do with it." She conditioned sternly, looking at the younger professor over the rim of her small glasses, and Kelsey nodded quickly.

"Deal. Only you, I, and Professor Sprout will be in on it. So no one else will have a clue what is going on." She stated and Minerva laughed softly.

"This is going to go along beautifully. It is about time that Severus got a taste of his own medicine." She mused knowingly as she led them out of the office. Kelsey nodded to her and walked past the students with a smirk, ruffling one of the prefect's hair as she passed, giving him a smile that he seemed to be needing. He smiled back and she walked out of the room, going to recruit her next accomplice with great amusement.

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Severus paced his classroom, having just dismissed his abysmal third years with a foot longer assignment than he had originally planned. But his irritated mind had made him even pickier that afternoon, and he disregarded the fact that the punishment would infringe upon his own time as well. He was just too damn annoyed.

"Damn Deus. I want to know what she is doing!" He agitatedly snarled, barking at no one in general. He paced for a few more minutes, tapping his fingertips the side of his leg in deep thought.

"I have got to know or else it will drive me mad." He exclaimed with exasperation and with that he sat into his seat with a huff, one hand under his chin as he tapped his fingers on the armrest with agitation.

"How to get it though? She is a nearly impossible talker and I can't just use Occlumency against her, Dumbledore would get angry... My Veritaserum isn't quite finished yet... Damn it... Am I losing my touch or something here?" He snarled hopelessly, thrusting himself from his chair for angrier pacing. He stopped suddenly, drawing himself into a straight and dignified stance as he spoke in a firm tone.

"I am Severus Snape, I am feared, and I can get anyone to tell me anything I want to know... Except this woman..." Severus growled at himself, clenching his quill that he had absentmindedly picked up in his left hand.

"I could threaten her again, but she merely scoffed at me and I can only tolerate that so much before I hex the smirk of her face, and that will get me nowhere..." He argued with himself logically and he knew this wasn't an argument he could win without some hot tea.

"Maybe an idea will hit me as I stalk..." He told himself lowly, walking out of his classroom as he shook his head at the whole predicament. He dared someone, anyone to cross his path. As he was heading to the kitchen though, he spied Minerva and Professor Sprout talking in hushed whispers, heads close, well, as close as a short and a tall woman could get. He heard his name and then a very lowly whispered "Kelsey".

_I wonder what they are saying... Tea can wait..._ He thought, his ears practically perking as he followed them silently and unnoticeably, listening to their conversation as their unusually louder voices reached his ears.

"Did you hear what she said about him?" Minerva asked with a hint of incredulity and Sprout giggled, nodding her head energetically, like she usually was.

"Only that every time he gives her a withering glare, she nearly melts in her boots." Sprout mused and Minerva chuckled quietly, shaking her head in amusement.

"Yes, but that's not what happened this morning." Minerva stated and Sprout raised an eyebrow at her. Severus was watching with curiosity as he stalked quietly a short distance away, wondering what exactly was going on.

"He _talked_ to her this morning. Asked her what she was up to, of which she wouldn't tell him, or me unfortunately. Then he followed her to her classroom..." Minerva talked, being cut off by the seemingly excited Sprout.

"And? Has he finally caught on?" She questioned eagerly and Minerva shook her head, smirking with sarcasm.

"You know Severus; he wouldn't know Kelsey had a crush on him if it was a brick house hitting him in the face. So no, he hasn't caught on, but poor Kelsey said she almost would have fainted if she hadn't had her self-control..." Minerva stated matter-of-factly and Sprout smiled, sighing.

"Ah, to be young and in love..."

"Yes, but the poor thing, she had to fall for the densest man at Hogwarts... But anyway, what were we saying before?" Minerva stated politely and Sprout scratched her head, a look of contemplation on her pudgy features.

"The mandrakes dear, if I recall correctly." She replied after the thought hit her, and Minerva nodded.

"Oh, yes, how did that go?" She asked and Severus let them walk on and turned down a hallway, leaving them to their Herbological conversation. He had heard what he needed to hear.

_Thank you Minerva, you just given me the answer to my question... The way to get the information from her is just a simple seduction away..._ Severus mused with self confidence as he headed to his classroom, forgetting his tea in favor of the new and interesting advantage he had over the elusive Kelsey Deus.

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Minerva looked over her shoulder subtly, noticing that their shadow had indeed disappeared. She smirked in the satisfactory thought of Severus dwelling on this information he had just been given.

"He's gone now dear." Minerva informed her energetic accomplice, Sprout. The small woman laughed as she shook he head in humor, glancing behind her in sneaky reassurance.

"I would have loved to see his face..." She joked wistfully and Minerva nodded in agreement, smirking with the anticipation of what was soon to come.

"As would I, but we shall see first-hand how this plays out later most likely... Come, we better go tell Kelsey that our dear Severus has some '_information_' 'against' her now..." Minerva stated with sarcastic amusement, turning her brisk stride the opposite direction towards the Muggle Studies classroom with purposeful steps, Sprout quickly turning to catch up with her long stride.

"Ooh, I feel like a teenager again... With all this gossiping and sneaking..." Sprout stated giddily, clapping her hands together sharply and Minerva nodded, smiling down at the small woman slightly.

"I know what you mean..." The Deputy Headmistress replied with unconcealed enjoyment as they enjoyed their so-far-so-good scheme.

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Kelsey looked around her quarters wonderingly, making sure she had everything she would need for dinner.

"Cloak, check... Watch, check... Quill, Check... Shoes Check... Shoes tied, No check..." She thought to herself as she leaned down and quickly tied her boot strings. Straitening herself and her clothes and assured that she was prepared, she calmly strode out of the door, locking them behind her.

Minerva and Sprout had already informed her of what they had 'gossiped' about and how Severus had eavesdropped 'without their knowledge', and she wasn't one-hundred percent sure what to expect from the unpredictable Severus now. It was all a part of the plan of course, but she knew he was a variable person, and knew there was_ at least_ a million ways he could take something like this. She prayed he took the way she hoped as she walked casually down the stairs, heading towards the Great hall for no doubt a very interesting dinner.

Her questioned was unexpectedly answered as she was going past a corridor, and Severus appeared out of the shadows smoothly, looking at her with mild pleasantry and no sign of disdain on his pale features. That was enough to scare anyone.

"Oh, good evening Kelsey." He greeted no hint of venom in his tone as he stood merely two feet from her, the closest he had ever willingly been to her.

"G... Good evening Severus." She stuttered in surprise, still wary, and he smiled slightly and looked down the direction she was heading with interest.

"I was just heading to the Great Hall for dinner, would you care to walk with me?" He asked her politely, watching her expectantly and she blinked her eyes for a moment, internally snickering.

_Oh my god. Is he hitting on me?... This is great..._ She thought as she nodded meekly, giving him a small smile and hoping her features didn't betray her inner amusement.

"I guess." She replied slowly as she looked him up and down warily. She saw him search her eyes and then his face changed eyes slightly downcast and turned from her as he spoke lowly.

"Before we head to where others are though, I would like to apologize for my accusing nature this morning and for my disrespectful behavior since your arrival here. I tend to be wary of other Professors entering Hogwarts and took my frustrations out on you, even when you did nothing to incur my wrath." He spoke smoothly and sincerely and she backed up from him, looking at him warily, truly a bit surprised at his approach to this. She knew he would play on it somehow, but she didn't know he was this good at it.

"You are apologizing to me? Why?" she asked, playing the part of a warily crushing girl quite well.

"Your harsh words this morning made me evaluate how I have been acting towards you today. I felt the need to right a wrong." He told her, bowing his head slightly and she gave him a small smile.

"Alright, I accept your apology then." She spoke, forcing herself to look nervous even though inside she was busting a gut. He held his arm out to her in politeness and smirked with a raised eyebrow.

"Shall we?" Severus asked her and Kelsey looked at his arm with contemplation. This was going to be all kinds of fun.

"I guess we shall." She replied quietly, taking his arm comfortably as they walked toward the Great Hall. She was silently walking at his side, her arm draped on his, him smiling small and without a qualm at all.

"So, Kelsey, Are you enjoying teaching Muggle Studies?" She was asked by Severus, who looked at her with interest and she snickered accidentally, but pulled it off.

"My students are quite... interesting. They can't believe how some Muggles make do without magic..." She mused and saw him nodding at her in agreement as he listened. They made it to the doors of the Great Hall and Severus opened them quickly before she could start.

"Ladies first." He explained to her, bowing his head, letting her walk in first. She smiled a small smile as she sauntered into the crowded hall and was followed immediately by Severus.

She walked over to her chair, feeling the whole school and her fellow teachers watching the man behind her with barely concealed astonishment. She reached for her chair to pull it out and he stilled her hand with a soft touch of his own.

"Allow me." He stated silkily and he pulled her chair out for her to sit down, gesturing to it. She raised an eyebrow, then sat down and he scooted her chair in for her, taking the seat next to her smoothly, which was usually where Remus Lupin sat, but he was out for his monthly run in the woods. She looked at Severus with a smile and it was returned with an admiring smirk. Kelsey turned to McGonagall who gave her a swift nod and a wink. She smiled sweetly back and her attention was stolen by Severus, who spoke her name softly. Minerva looked down at her plate, trying to hide the amusement in her sharp eyes.

"Yes Severus?" She asked curiously, returning her attention to him with a warm smile, trying to look almost giddy with delight. He was laying it on thick; he must've been really desperate to know.

"I was wondering if you would like to join me in my study after dinner?" He asked her softly and sweetly, and she felt herself blush, though it was more likely the laughter fighting to get out, of which she valiantly fought back with a proverbial stick.

"I don't know... What for?" She asked him with genuine curiosity, fighting to remain nervous and shy, which were not her two best qualities.

"I don't know, to just get a chance to actually know each other. I have lived in your presence for quite some time and yet know very little of you." He replied with a twinge of regret and she smiled at him, nodding her head.

"I guess that sounds alright. Sure." Kelsey told him and he smiled at her happily, turning to go to his food with a smirk of satisfaction. For the rest of dinner he was constantly drawing her into random conversation, and when he spoke to her, his full undivided attention was on her, never straying nor distracted from her features. She had to admit, the man had moves, but she wasn't going to fall for it. She was also amazed at how well he could pull such a stunt off when she knew he was probably slapping himself internally for every sweet smile and soft word.

With dinner soon finished, Severus stood quickly and pulled her chair out for her to get up and held his arm out to her once again in expectation. She was amazed that he didn't seem phased by the fact that entire student body was watching him. She took his arm and as they were walking out of the room in stride, her name was called.

"Ms. Deus, might Professor Sprout and I have a word with you for a moment?" Minerva asked and Kelsey turned around and saw a wink from her before Severus turned to view her just as sudden blank expression.

"Of course Minerva. I'll meet you there Severus." She told him politely, and then he managed to scare the hell out of her. He took her hand in his and bowed his head, bringing it to his lips gently.

"I shall wait for your arrival." He spoke, straightening himself back up with dignity and with a harsh glare to the numerous giggling students as he walked out of the room.

Kelsey moved toward the side room that Professors used to prepare the first years, following Minerva and Sprout with an expression of the utmost surprise. She entered the room and closed the door slowly, then turned and started laughing her ass off, tears brimming in her eyes.

"What in the world was that?" Minerva asked, throwing away all attempts at self control as she started at the young professor in shock, and Kelsey laughed some more. Sprout had her hands over her mouth, turning red as she shook with silent laughs.

"That was Severus Snape, trying to seduce me." She laughed and the two other women laughed.

"You would think he _genuinely_ liked you the way he is acting. So what's the next step in your plan?" The Transfiguration Professor questioned eagerly, no doubt caught up in all the excitement of the moment as well and ready for the next step in their scheme.

"Not sure yet. You see, he asked me to his study after dinner for some 'get to know you' time." Kelsey stated with amusement, finally catching her breath.

Sprout squeaked with surprise, then questioned with curiosity. "How will this embarrass him if he is talking to you in private?"

Kelsey laughed lowly, having already figured out that part a while ago. "Some well enchanted Muggle technology. I would ask you both to keep most of the students and staff in their dormitories, if you don't mind." She replied with mystery and Minerva looked at her warily, obviously having composed herself somewhat.

"Why?" She questioned both her and Sprout looking a bit worried.

"Because this quill has had a microphone put in it and it will transmit our every conversation into the Common Rooms of the four houses after a bit of magical tweaking." Kelsey replied proudly, flourishing her quill that she had spent all afternoon fitting with the minuscule microphone. Minerva took the quill and scrutinized it thoroughly, raising an eyebrow.

"We can certainly keep them in their common rooms then. Anything else?" Sprout asked for her, and Kelsey rubbed her chin, sticking her tongue out in thought.

"Um... Be prepared to come rescue me if you hear me say I need to leave and he tries to talk me into staying." Kelsey mused and the two women nodded readily.

"Will do. Now get going, your prey waits." Minerva teased with a tight smirk and Kelsey nodded, heading for Severus's quarters in wary disbelief at how this had all turned out. She tucked the quill behind her ear, turning on its hidden microphone as she swept in to make Severus finally pay.

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Severus stood in the hallway, taking himself through his plan step by precious step. First off, he was going to be the up most gentlemen to Ms. Deus, using some long pushed back talents of his and then he was going to invite her, willingly, to his quarters. There, he was going to carefully pry the information he wanted from her, all the while playing on her crush for him with unending smoothness. It would be flawless, and when he was done, that would be the end of it. So what if she got angry, it was her own fault for keeping something from him and then teasing him, on top of liking him. That was her biggest mistake.

He heard booted footsteps and knew it was her. He composed himself and waited till she walked past his corridor and he then stepped out, changing his demeanor for her benefit. It had been a long time since he had tried to do this kind of thing and he had to make sure he could still do it. He moved to within her personal space, being a mere two feet from her and knowing that it would strengthen his act if he pretended like he enjoyed it.

"Oh, good evening Kelsey." He greeted her softly, making sure he was not deceitful. He watched her look at him with surprise and he internally smirked, though remained politely quiet.

"G... Good evening Severus." He heard her stutter in surprise, looking at him warily as with mistrust. He smiled at her slightly to get her to accept his presence like this and he looked down the direction she was heading with feigned interest.

"I was just heading to the Great Hall for dinner, would you care to walk with me?" He asked her, being obvious with innocence and up most politeness, looking to her with the thought that she would brighten and forwardly agree. He watched her blink her eyes for a moment though, as if she didn't believe it was his presence before her.

_I wonder if this is going to work according to plan?... It better, or else I may regret this..._ He thought to himself. He saw her nod meekly at him, giving him a small shy smile and he knew he had her right where he wanted her, stuck and pinned.

"I guess." She told him slowly and he watched as she looked him up and down warily, apparently unsure if he was serious. He looked at her searching her eyes and he saw wary disbelief in them. He made his face take on that of one regretful and he turned his eyes downcast, speaking lowly, just to add icing to the cake and further ensnare her in his delicate trap.

"Before we head to where others are though, I would like to apologize for my accusing nature this morning and for my disrespectful behavior since your arrival here. I tend to be wary of other Professors entering Hogwarts and took my frustrations out on you, even when you did nothing to incur my wrath." He told her smoothly and sincerely and he watched as she backed from him, not believing him. She seemed to be surprised that he knew how to apologize.

"You are apologizing to me? Why?" She questioned him warily, as Severus had predicted. And he already had an answer. He didn't spend all that time in his room twiddling his thumbs now.

"Your harsh words this morning made me evaluate how I have been acting towards you today. I felt the need to right a wrong." He told her, bowing his head slightly to her in false regret and he saw her give him a small and warm smile.

"Alright, I accept your apology then." He heard her speak nervously and he was smug inside at her readiness to forgive him. Deciding it would be a worthwhile endeavor; he held his arm out to her and smirked with a raised eyebrow.

"Shall we?" Severus asked her and he saw her contemplatively look at him.

"I guess we shall." She replied to him quietly, hazel eyes sparkling brightly and she took his arm with hers, lightly and hesitantly placing her hand on his arm as he began to lead them to the Great Hall, smiling widely like a school girl.

_I am the Man...She is falling so far into my trap...I should feel kind of guilty, but surprisingly I don't..._ He thought to himself proudly as they walked side by side. Knowing he needed to actually talk to her to gain her trust, he decided to inquire about her classes, that being all he could think of at the moment.

"So, Kelsey, Are you enjoying teaching Muggle Studies?" He asked her with feigned interest and he heard her snicker. Although in truth he could really care less about her feelings toward the subject. If she hadn't liked it, she wouldn't have accepted the job.

_Perhaps she finds teaching amusing..._ He thought distractedly as she replied.

"My students are quite... interesting. They can't believe how some Muggles make do without magic..." He heard her speak with fond humor and he nodded in actual agreement, listening to her talk. They approached the Great Hall doors and he saw her reach to open the door. Knowing this trick, he quickly stepped forward and opened it first.

"Ladies first." He told her softly, bowing his head in a polite gesture as she entered. He knew he was laying on it pretty thick, but he would do what he must to get the information he needed. He followed closely behind her, once again daring anyone to cross him or mock him openly with piercing black eyes.

He watched her as she moved toward her chair, ignoring the million or so prying eyes as he moved swiftly behind her. Kelsey placed her hand on her chair to pull it out and he put his hand on hers softly.

"Allow me." He spoke silkily as he pulled her chair out for her to sit down and he gestured for her to sit. She raised a curious eyebrow at him as she sat and he scooted her chair to the table for her. He immediately sat down at her side, taking Lupin's seat, but knowing he wasn't there to mind. He watched as she looked at him, smiling and he smirked back, trying to put some admiration in to his facial features. He noted her meek quietude, musing on the obvious weight of her crush on him. In a way it was flattering, but not to the point that he would actually consider her as worthy dating material. He watched as she turned to the Transfiguration teacher and Minerva winked at her with a swift nod.

_Yes, congratulate her... Of course you all will be gossiping about this later..._ Severus mused, calling Kelsey with a soft voice. He saw Minerva look back down at her plate as his objective turned around to look at him with expectancy.

"Yes Severus?" He heard her ask with curiosity, giving him a warm smile, looking absolutely excited with delight. He knew she wouldn't refuse him right now. He just hoped she would tell him by the end of the evening before things got desperate.

"I was wondering if you would like to join me in my study after dinner?" He asked her softly and sweetly and she blushed at him, seemingly to be unsure of the idea.

"I don't know... What for?" She curiously asked him, seeming shy and nervous. Obviously he treating her with kindness changed the way she reacted to him. Normally she was a hard sharp person, but now she seemed almost tame. Something he could deal with quite easily.

"I don't know, to just get a chance to actually know each other. I have lived in your presence for quite some time and yet know very little of you." He told her adding a twinge of mock regret to his voice and she smiled at him, nodding her head in ready agreement.

"I guess that sounds alright. Sure." Kelsey told him and Severus smiled at her happily, turning to go to his food with a smirk of satisfaction, mentally congratulating himself at his seemingly endless talent.

_This is so easy... I still have the touch..._ He thought to himself. For the rest of his meal he took every opportunity to talk to her and when he did he focused entirely on her, making sure to seem genuinely interested in her, knowing it was the only way to keep her. He did not look away when Sprout nearly choked on her food when he smiled at her; he continued to stay focused on his prey, Kelsey Deus.

_I do hope this is worth my time or else I am going to run my head into a wall..._ Severus thought as he finished the last bit of his dinner and waited for her to finish.

As soon as she was finished he stood quickly and acted the gentleman, pulling her chair out for her to get up. He put his arm out once again and she took it with a smile and without hesitance, walking with him towards the end of the hall and into the next step of his scheme. They were just about to the doors when she stopped, Minerva having called Kelsey's name.

"Ms. Deus, might Professor Sprout and I have a word with you for a moment?" He heard Minerva ask Kelsey as he turned around as well, seeing a blank but mildly curious look on the Deputy Headmistress's face. There seemed to be a dilemma on Kelsey's face and she then replied.

"Of course Minerva. I'll meet you there Severus." She turned to him, telling him politely.

_Damn it all... A few minutes and she may realize that she doesn't want to meet me... Unless..._ Severus though to himself. He quickly took her hand and bowed as he kissed it softly, paying no mind to the fact that the whole student body was present and now shocked into awed silence. Raising himself up with dignity, he smiled and stated.

"I shall wait for your arrival." And with that he gave a harsh glare to the numerous giggling students as he walked out of the room, smugly. He closed the doors behind him and smirked to himself, turning around and speaking proudly.

"Damn I am good..." He commented as he headed to his quarters, wondering what Minerva had to talk about with Kelsey and hoping it wasn't anything that would affect their impending 'meeting'.

He sat in his study, setting everything to his liking for this event and surveying it with a crucial eye. He really wished he had some Veritaserum to put into her wine glass and get this all over with as quickly as possible, but he was sadly out. He sat lazily on his couch, seeing to it that the fire was burning brightly and cozily in the fireplace, the lights dimmed slightly, and his feet propped on the table.

He heard a soft knock at his door and he got up, putting a wide smile on his face as he answered it. Kelsey stood there, a nervous smile on her lips as she looked slightly up at him, hands clasped behind her back.

"Sorry it took so long." She stated quietly and he noticed a quill tucked characteristically behind her ear.

_They must have had some paperwork for her or something..._ He thought as a side note as he smiled at her warmly.

"Not at all a problem. Come in won't you?" He asked her smoothly and she nodded a surprised and pleased smile on her face as she entered his room, gazing about curiously. He closed the door softly behind her and he walked up beside her as she looked admiringly at his immense library on the walls of his study.

"Would you like to sit down?" He asked quietly, gesturing to the pillowed couch suggestively. She looked at it with a glint of subtle caution in her hazel eyes, and then sat down on one end of it. He took a seat next to her, comfortably situating himself and looking at her with a smirk as he rested his arm on the back of it.

"So, what do we do now?" She asked him softly, looking around nervously, hands fidgeting slightly, and he smiled at her. Internally, he was snickering like a maniac, but he merely shook his head slowly.

"Well, we can start out with making random small talk like this and use that as a tool to open other conversations." He told her smoothly, knowing that he now had control of the conversation, a crucial key.

"Alright then. I never would have imagined you had so many books in your personal library. It's amazing." She spoke in genuine awe and he smirked, knowing he could lay it on as thick as he pleased without inquiring glances. He smirked mischievously as he propped his feet on the table in front of them.

"Not nearly as amazing as the woman sitting before me. Tell me, how did it come to be that you became a Muggle Studies teacher?" He stated hiding any mockery, locking eyes with her. She still had a firm mind block, obviously not trusting him enough to let it down yet, but none the less, his plan was working. She smiled coyly, seeming to loosen up a bit and relaxing against the couch, and looked at him with laughter in her eyes.

"I don't really recall, this job just kinda fell in my lap." She told him and he nodded in acknowledgement, never looking away from her, pretending to study her features with admiration.

"Ahh, but you seem perfectly suited for the job." He stated, figuring a way to work this to his advantage. She shrugged, curling a piece of hair in her finger as she replied to the compliment with a smile in her voice.

"Yes, I guess you could say that. What about you, why are you a Potion's Master?" She questioned him and he shook his head, snickering.

"A quest for knowledge. And what better way to attain it than to remain in a school? And where are my manners, would you like something to drink?" He asked, removing his feet from the table and trying to keep this conversation away from him as much as possible.

"Oh, um... Why not." She stated and he smiled at her, walking over to his cabinet.

"Wine?" He asked her lowly and she nodded her head at him, smiling in giddy amazement. He opened it, slowly taking out a bottle of wine and two ready glasses. He poured the two glasses and walked over to her, handing her one glass as he sat down, this time a little closer to her, her smiling coyly.

"Thank you." She whispered softly and she looked at the glass, whispering softly a spell to check it. He would have been insulted, but seeing as she didn't entirely trust him, he acted as if he didn't notice. He took a sip of his and smiled softly at her, realizing what he could say to draw her in further.

"I am deeply sorry for the way I acted toward you this morning. I still am disappointed at myself for that." He stated lowly, having finally figured out how to get to the information that he wanted. She looked at him with a raised eyebrow and shook her head, having just taken a sip of her wine, watching him over the rim of her glass.

"You are already forgiven." She told him with a smile and he lowered his head, looking at his hands.

"But you did nothing and I was just so intent on my personal experiment that I took it out on you." He stated regretfully, praying she was at least somewhat like him and that he had sparked her interests a bit.

"Nonsense. But I do have to ask you, why are you being so nice to me, when any other time you would say my name as if it were a bad taste in your mouth?" She questioned a bit accusingly and he shook his head with a sigh, her not asking the question he wanted her to ask. He felt as if he was slowly losing this conversation's control, something that could not happen. He was getting a bit desperate.

"Because it is not right to treat such a wonderful person like you in the manner I was." He replied in a silky voice, smiling softly.

"But how do you know I am wonderful when today is the first day you have taken the time to say more than 'get out of my way'?" Kelsey continually pressed him with earnest curiosity and he sighed, looking at her seriously. He knew she was trying to figure him out, to see if he was truly sincere. He'd have to find a way around this quick.

"Because you had sparked my interest with you utter lack of fear of me. Most people cringe in my wake, but you, you seem to be drawn to me." He stated and she turned her head away from his gaze and he thought he could see a blush on her usually pale cheeks.

"Hit the nail on the head, didn't I." He confirmed quietly and she nodded her head, not looking at him as she took a sip of her wine. He saw that a wayward strand of her hair had moved over her face and he took his hand on an impulse and softly moved the hair away. She looked at him with wonder and he smiled at her, thinking to draw his finger down the side of her face affectionately.

He watched as she closed her eyes at his gentle touch and he smirked smugly to himself, knowing that he had her under his entrancing charm.

"You're very beautiful, you know." He told her quietly in a low voice and then he thought to himself that he wasn't entirely lying. She wasn't bad looking at all, but he couldn't think of that now, all he wanted to do at the moment was to find out what he wanted to know and what she was working on. He couldn't get distracted in any way.

She opened her eyes and looked at him with what seemed to be a wonder. "Thank you." She told him in response to his compliment and he smiled small.

"No need to thank one who speaks the truth." He told her with a smug feeling taking over his gut, boosting his ego.

"You know, you aren't as bad a person as they make you out to be. I was warned that you were a bastard, but I guess that's what I get for listening to rumors." She told him and a pang of regret hit him. He _was_ a bastard, and he was playing on her emotions. For a brief moment he thought about giving up and spilling to her, but he caught himself just in time. He had a mission and he was going to finish it or die trying, if that was what he had to do.

"I guess." He told her, looking away from her piercing gaze as she looked him in the eyes. She gave him a brief smile, followed by a yawn.

"Oh, please excuse me. I am exhausted, I'm sorry. All the extra work I have been doing has just worn me out." She told him and he looked at her, knowing that an opportunity had just opened up to him.

"What extra work?" He asked, trying to keep the eagerness out of his voice, and she smirked, shaking her head.

"I already told you I can't tell you." Kelsey smiled almost teasingly and Severus sighed, acting as if he had forgotten, feeling sorely disappointed.

"Ah, right. I'm sorry I forgot." He told her in mock remembrance before he asked. "Though... I do wonder why you can't tell me. I may even be able to help." He told her and she shook her head at him, sipping her wine slowly as she seemingly mulled over his words.

"I think not. And I also must be getting to bed; I have to get up earlier to work on my third years' essays." She told him as she set the glass in her hand down on the table. Severus sighed, looking at her with false pleading in his dark eyes.

"Must you really go?" He asked her earnestly, actually meaning it, for she hadn't yet revealed what she was concocting. She nodded firmly, standing quickly.

"Yes, I must. I am so sorry, but I promised my students I would have them ready for them tomorrow so they may correct them." She told him apologetically and he looked at her, thinking of a way to get her to stay.

"Could you not do them tomorrow evening and give them to them the next day?" He asked her hopefully, setting his wine glass down, and she smiled amusingly, shaking her head at his pleading.

"No, I made a promise to them and I don't like to not come through on my promises." She told him sternly and he stood up wearily, resigned that he would have to go through with this tomorrow as well. He walked over to the door as he was trying to think of a way to ensure this could continue tomorrow. Then the thought struck him like a storm of lightning bolts.

_I am so glad no one else is here and no one would believe her..._ He thought as he looked at her approach the door, inhaling deeply once to build up his courage and beat down the feeling of disgust in his throat.

"Kelsey?" He spoke softly and she looked up at him with questioning. He took that moment and closed the distance between them, taking her face in his hands gently and kissing her lips softly. He felt her seize up for a moment, and he wondered if she would lash out at him, but she just as suddenly relaxed against him as she surrendered to his kiss.

After a brief minute he backed away and she looked at him as one drugged would. "Good night, and sleep well." He told her with mock affection and she smiled at him, nodding.

"You too Severus." She practically whispered as she left his quarters, almost stumbling. He watched her walk away wistfully, mentally beating himself for failing in his attempt to keep her here, but knowing he could get it from her tomorrow, especially after that bold stunt. He closed the door and shuddered, grimacing slightly.

"To the Bathroom." He grumbled to himself as he headed to go furiously brush his teeth, again.

--------------------------------

Kelsey braced herself and took a deep breath as she stood in front of his door, preparing to knock. The microphone was on in the quill and her composure was perfect. She just had to play some proverbial cat and mouse with him, and then tomorrow morning at breakfast he would be the laughing stock of the student body. Flawless.

She gently knocked on the door, unsure of what to expect. What she didn't expect was exactly what she got. Severus opened the door with a gentle smile, and she held her hands behind her back, trying to seem as if she was worried about being late.

"Sorry it took so long." She told him quietly, even though she knew it had only taken fifteen minutes to laugh at his expense.

_You better be careful what you say... You may very well regret it..._ She told herself, reminding her that she was being broadcasted to all four house Common Rooms. He smiled warmly at her as he spoke.

"Not at all a problem. Come in won't you?" He asked her smoothly and she nodded to him, seeming surprised at him. She was actually nervous, knowing she was the only person she knew who had set foot in Severus's quarters. She expected to be poisoned, electrocuted, or even have spikes pop out of the floor at any moment.

She looked around in wary curiosity and was amazed at the number of books this man had in his personal library. He really must have no life, but she now understood why he was so smart. She questioned if she was messing with the right person, but that thought was thrown aside in light of the importance of this scheme, to her anyway. She heard him close the door behind her and walk up to her side, very close to her, close enough she could smell his cologne.

"Would you like to sit down?" He asked her quietly and she watched him gesture to his couch. She looked cautiously at the couch as she sat on the end of it, wondering what Severus was going to pull next. She watched as he took a seat next to her, comfortably situating himself and looking at her with a smirk as he rested his arm on the back of it, which put his arm technically behind her head. It was too silent so she started the conversation, trying to remember that she wanted him to think he was in control of the conversation to get the most comments out of him. After all, she had an audience to entertain.

"So, what do we do now?" She asked him softly, looking around warily, fidgeting her hands in her lap in feigned nervousness. In fact, she was pretty comfortable, and she doubted Severus would do anything _too _drastic if he seriously wanted to find out what she was 'up to', at least not yet. He smiled at her as he shook his head with what seemed to be humor.

"Well, we can start out with making random small talk like this and use that as a tool to open other conversations." He spoke to her smoothly, seeming to have his well rehearsed.

"Alright then. I never would have imagined you had so many books in your personal library. It's amazing." She told him in genuine awe, because she herself liked books and that was a good a subject as any to start with. She watched as he smirked mischievously at her, putting his feet up on the table in front of them. She noticed that he was entirely _too_ comfortable doing something that should make him very _un_comfortable.

"Not nearly as amazing as the woman sitting before me. Tell me, how did it come to be that you became a Muggle Studies teacher?" He told her with a soft, sly tone of voice that almost took her by surprise as he locked eyes with her. She could feel him probing her mind block but after that, his presence in her mind was gone.

_That was close... If I had forgotten that, the whole plan would have failed..._ She told herself weakly as she fished around for a good answer. She smiled coyly at him, relaxing a bit, leaning her back against the couch, mentally laughing at how he was working like a puppet on a string.

"I don't really recall, this job just kinda fell in my lap." She told him truthfully and he nodded at her in agreement, looking at her and examining her features with what seemed to be admiration. Ha, funny.

"Ahh, but you seem perfectly suited for the job." He stated smoothly and she shrugged at him, absentmindly playing with her hair on her finger as she replied to him with happiness in her voice. He was good at this and she had to admit he was pretty charming when he wanted to be, but the fact that this was all a ploy sort of dimmed that thought.

"Yes, I guess you could say that. What about you, why are you a Potion's Master?" She questioned him, looking for an answer she didn't know. He shook his head at her, snickering.

"A quest for knowledge. And what better way to attain it than to remain in a school? And where are my manners, would you like something to drink?" He stated, obviously deflecting any comments about himself as he put his feet on the floor, looking as to stand up. He was pretty clever at the back and forth word play and she would have to be careful with her comments.

"Oh, um... Why not." She stated nervously, knowing he could probably kill her if he wanted to. He smiled at her as he walked over to his cabinet.

"Wine?" He asked her lowly and she nodded her head at him, making it seem as if she wasn't nervous about drinking anything he gave her. She smiled at him in what she tried to make amazement. She watched with scrutiny as he poured the glasses openly and walked over toward her. He handed her one and sat down, this time much closer. She could feel his body heat near her side. She wasn't so much bothered by his proximity to her as the glass in her hand. She smiled coyly at him.

"Thank you." She whispered softly and she looked at the glass in her, whispering softly a spell to check it for anything, just in case. He made no insulted movement so she figured she had managed to whisper it low enough that he had not heard her. He took a sip of his wine and smiled softly at her, and she had to figure out how to get him to say something that would embarrass him later. Turns out she didn't have to do anything.

"I am deeply sorry for the way I acted toward you this morning. I still am disappointed at myself for that." He apologized to her again and she looked at him with a raised eyebrow. She took a sip of her wine, noting that it was pretty good wine as she shook her head, looking at him over the rim of her glass with slight amusement.

"You are already forgiven." She told him with a smile, wondering what he had up his sleeve as he lowered his head, looking at his hands.

"But you did nothing and I was just so intent on my personal experiment that I took it out on you." He stated regretfully, and she wondered for a moment if he was really, truly sorry. And there was only one way to figure that out, and that was to ask questions.

"Nonsense. But I do have to ask you, why are you being so nice to me, when any other time you would say my name as if it were a bad taste in your mouth?" She questioned accusingly but honestly as she watched him shake his head at her as he sighed almost dramatically.

"Because it is not right to treat such a wonderful person like you in the manner I was." He told her in a silky voice, smiling softly. She wasn't really buying this, though she kind of wished that this was sincere.

_He must think I am a ditzy fool... Wait, I am acting like a ditzy fool..._ She thought as she replied.

"But how do you know I am wonderful when today is the first day you have taken the time to say more than 'get out of my way'?" Kelsey continually pressed him, wanting to know if he was really sorry and he sighed, looking at her seriously. She wanted to figure out how in the world he was able to do this and not betray any inner turmoil. It was impressing.

"Because you had sparked my interest with you utter lack of fear of me. Most people cringe in my wake, but you, you seem to be drawn to me." He told her and she acted as if she were mildly ashamed, like she had a crush on him and he had just said it aloud. She knew she was blushing, but she was forcing herself to blush. After all, he wasn't the only good actor in the room.

"Hit the nail on the head, didn't I." He confirmed quietly to her and she nodded her head slightly, knowing if she said it aloud it would be heard by the student body and this would be turned around on her. She knew how to play this game. She took a slow sip of her wine, not looking at him as a strand of her unruly hair decided to fall in her face. She was going to move it herself when a warm hand moved it behind her ear. She looked at him with true amazement as he smiled at her. He ran his finger down the edge of her face and she closed her eyes, absentmindly and wistfully wondering how long it had been since someone had done that.

_No, I am on a mission..._ She told herself sternly, as she heard him speak.

"You're very beautiful, you know." He told her in a low voice and she caught herself wondering if he was seriously hitting on her, or was an extremely good actor. She opened her eyes, looking at the dark man before her with wonder as she fought to find her voice. It had been a long time since someone had said or done these things and she had not been prepared for Severus to say or do these things. She steeled herself away from those thoughts, telling herself that she had to stay focused. She found her voice and softly replied.

"Thank you." She told him in response to his compliment and he smiled small at her.

"No need to thank one who speaks the truth." He told her lightly and she smirked in amusement.

"You know, you aren't as bad a person as they make you out to be. I was warned that you were a bastard, but I guess that's what I get for listening to rumors." She told him, realizing that she wasn't entirely lying. Even if he was acting, he was still being charming, so she figured he was once this way, just never to her. She looked in his eyes, trying to figure out the mystery that was Severus Snape.

"I guess." He told her, looking away from her as she gave a brief smile which turned into a yawn.

"Oh, please excuse me. I am exhausted, I'm sorry. All the extra work I have been doing has just worn me out." She baited him, knowing he would take it as an opportunity to ask her about the mysterious spell. Like clockwork, he asked.

"What extra work?" He questioned her curiously and she caught a mild hint of eagerness in his voice. She smirked at him, shaking her head at the fact that he had just given himself away.

"I already told you I can't tell you." Kelsey smiled teasingly at him and he sighed, seeming to have forgotten that conversation.

"Ah, right. I'm sorry I forgot." He replied and then he sighed asking with curiosity. "Though... I do wonder why you can't tell me. I may even be able to help." She shook her head softly, sipping her wine slowly as she thought. _He really wants to know doesn't he?..._ She thought as she spoke, deciding that it was time for her to go really soon. Any more time with him might prove hazardous for them both.

"I think not. And I also must be getting to bed; I have to get up earlier to work on my third years' essays." She lied to him as she set the glass in her hand down on the table in front of her. She looked at Severus as he pleaded her with his eyes as well as words, actually making her feel a small pang of guilt.

"Must you really go?" He asked her earnestly, seeming to actually mean it. He was confusing her with his every move. She nodded firmly, resigned to go and wondering if Minerva and Sprout were poised to come rescue her if need be as she stood quickly.

"Yes, I must. I am so sorry, but I promised my students I would have them ready for them tomorrow so they may correct them." She told him apologetically and he looked at her, seeming to be thinking.

"Could you not do them tomorrow evening and give them to them the next day?" He pressed her hopefully, setting his wine glass down as he pleaded with her. She smiled amusingly as she shook her head. She realized that she probably would have given in after his first pleading look, had this been a sincere ordeal.

"No, I made a promise to them and I don't like to not come through on my promises." She told him sternly and she watched as he stood up warily. He walked past her to the door, obviously going to open it for her. He paused in his step, inhaled sharply, and spoke.

"Kelsey?" He inquired softly and she looked up at him with questioning. He saw something in his eyes but couldn't decipher it as he moved to her and took her face in his strong hands as he kissed her softly. She was shocked and thought to push him away but she relaxed as his gentle kiss sweep over her senses. She lost all thought for a moment and when he pulled away she had to remember to breath. He was definitely _not_ a bad kisser.

She looked up at him, knowing she looked drugged, which is how she truly felt.

"Good night, and sleep well." He told her almost affectionately and she smiled, nodding as she found her voice once again.

"You too Severus." She practically whispered, not having enough breath in her body to be louder. She left his quarters almost stumbling over her numb feet. She could feel him watch her as she walked away and she smirked, for some reason feeling _very_ good. She sighed and headed for her quarters. She turned the corner with still the same drugged smirk and was suddenly met by Minerva and Sprout.

"We we're coming to rescue you, but it seems you got away quite nicely." Minerva mused and Sprout looked up at her curiously.

"Are you ok Kelsey, you look drugged... please tell me you checked your drink dearie..." Sprout asked worriedly and Minerva quickly looked at her in shock. Kelsey held her hand up to keep her from jumping to accusations as she whispered.

"He kissed me." She stated with incredulity and Minerva looked at her in unconcealed shock, her glasses slipping to the end of her nose as she stared at the young, blushing professor.

"You mean your hand, right?" She questioned with wariness and Kelsey shook her head with a small smile.

"Your cheek?" Sprout asked hopefully, though sounding otherwise and Kelsey shook her head no again.

"You mean Severus Snape actually _kissed you,_ kissed you. I must have died." Minerva stated, shaking her head in amazement and pushing her glasses up. Kelsey only nodded, walking past them as she headed to her dorms. She took the quill out of her ear suddenly, turning it off as she went to sleep, planning on making Severus's morning a living hell, though unconsciously wishing that that wouldn't have to have been the case as she drifted off to sleep, still smirking.

--------------------------

Kelsey got out off bed, her sleep being filled with dreams she should _not_ have been having. She could swear she still felt Severus's warm hands on her face. She shook the feeling off, getting dressed quickly. She ran a brush through her frizzy hair once again, getting angry enough to pull her wand out and defrizz it magically. She tied her shoes and walked out the door, heading towards the Great Hall. Once again, on cue, Severus was exiting the hallway in which she had to pass. He stopped and looked at her with a smile. She approached him, feeling mildly guilty about what was about to happen, but she was too far in to back down now.

"Sleep well Kelsey?" He questioned as he held his arm out to her. She took it gratefully, because it was far colder in the hallways than in her room and he was actually pretty warm.

"Yes, I did. Quite well. You?" She asked politely and he nodded his head, smirking at her.

"As well as to be expected when one can't get someone off of their mind." He told her lowly and she genuinely blushed, for being bombarded with this kind of flattery first thing in the morning was actually pretty touching.

"Ah." She whispered softly, not knowing what else to say and wondering if she should just call this whole thing off and get the guilt off her chest. But the thought of his embarrassment was a more pressing need at the moment.

"How did your grading go?" He asked and she wanted to kick herself, for she had really wanted to do them last night when she got back, but she had just collapsed into her bed.

"I got a good amount of them done, but I still have a stack to do." She lied and he nodded, them approaching the doors to the Great Hall. Once again he opened them for her and bowed as she entered. She headed toward her seat, smirking at the hundreds of eyes that turned to Severus and her, and also saw that Remus had returned. He looked at her with a knowing smirk and she lowered her eyes, blushing as she approached her seat.

She saw Remus's eyes flicker to Severus as he approached and he snickered. "Hey Sev, you want me to move over one so you may sit next to your- I mean, Miss Deus?" Remus snickered and Kelsey froze, knowing someone had to have told him something. She looked at her prefects and noticed that they were very much absorbed in their meals.

_I knew it... Well, this ought to be fun..._ She thought with amusement as Severus replied, seeming to be confused for a moment.

"What- uh, would you?" He asked quickly, and Remus smirked.

"Absolutely... not. You'll just have to make eyes at her over my plate." Remus teased as he turned back to his seat, smiling. This would not do.

"Uh, Remus, then would perhaps switch seats with me?" She asked and he looked at her with a smirk.

"Hm... You are closer to the sausage... Hm... Torture Snape... Feed myself... Torture... food... Food!" He mused with finality as he got out of his chair and took Kelsey's, digging into the sausage next to the cream custard without a second glance or care. Severus pulled Remus's seat out for her and scooted it in and Remus snickered.

"Awww... How sw-" Remus began around a mouthful of sausage and Severus glared at him with annoyance.

"Can it, Lupin." He barked sharply and Kelsey shook her head, looking at Minerva who smirked as she took a sip of her juice, pretending to be absorbed in a conversation with Sprout, when all reality both were listening and watching Severus and Kelsey closely.

They had this all planned out. Severus took the seat next to her and smiled. She went about eating and Severus kept pulling her into vaguely interesting, yet overall boring, conversations. Talking wasn't one of her strong points in the early morning. She finished her orange juice just as Sprout walked over to her, smiling.

"Hello dearie, I was wondering if you had that spell done yet. I am really excited to see a demonstration of it." She played, glancing slyly to Severus once and Kelsey could feel Severus's interest perk up, though he refrained from any comments.

"Actually, I tweaked it a bit last night, so it may do different colors now the way we wanted it to." Kelsey replied and Sprout clapped her hands with enjoyment.

"Oh goodie! When do you think you'll be able to perform it?" She questioned and Kelsey mocked frowned, making sure Severus could hear and see her clearly. She wanted him to get every detail of this.

"I don't know if I am strong enough to do it again. It took a lot out of me last night. I had to drag myself out of bed this morning. And if not for food, and good company, I would have stayed in bed." She replied, glancing slyly to Severus as Remus snorted, apparently at the 'good company' part. She kicked him and he looked at her indignantly, mumbling as he speared another piece of sausage for himself.

"I could do it for you Kelsey." Severus stated eagerly, and she turned to look at him, faking worry.

"Oh no, I couldn't let you. If it backfired, I would never forgive myself." She told him, half-honestly. He put his hand up to silence her, sitting straight with confidence.

"If you tried it, it would most surely backfire on you and I would feel guilty for not preventing such an accident. After all, you look exhausted. And obviously Sprout needs to see it." He told her gently and Kelsey shook her head, half in telling him no and the other half in humor.

"No, no, I couldn't possibly, because if something happened I would be the one to blame." She told him sternly and he shook his head, just not getting the point, which made it all the funnier.

"I would never blame you." He told her, softly touching her shoulder. She had to keep from laughing, but with his touch, it brought back a swift and fleeting memory of their not-so-bad kiss.

"But-" She was cut off by Minerva, who had walked up.

"I too am earnest to see this spell, why not allow Severus to do it for you? He has strong enough magic in him to perform some of the most complicated spells." She stated matter-of-factly in her teacher-knows-best tone of voice and Kelsey hung her head in false defeat.

"If it backfires, don't say I didn't warn anyone." She whispered, keeping her head lowered to hide her smirk and Severus squeezed her shoulder with apparent approval.

"I will not blame you for a mishap." He stated firmly and tenderly and she half thought to throw the whole plan away that instant. Instead she went with her better judgment, though with quite some reluctance.

"Ok, the spell is '_Aquam Archis Floris'._ All you have to do before the spell is want it to work. You have to really, really want it. It's safe enough to do in here, for any backfires hit the individual, not all the people around them." Kelsey told him in a hushed whisper, trying to sound nervous about it and he nodded, smirking as he stood with eagerness, drawing his wand. He stepped back away from everybody and Kelsey watched him with unconcealed amusement.

"What is going on?" Remus whispered curiously in her ear and she smirked with anticipation, watching Severus closely.

"We're embarrassing Severus, just watch..." She whispered back and Remus nodded, watching in interest. Severus had a five foot radius clear around him, and most of the great Hall as an audience now, and she watched as he took a deep breath.

"_Aquam Archis Floris..._" He spoke and suddenly before him stood a multicolored rosebush in full bloom, standing almost as tall as him.

"Kelsey, you are a genius! Look you even got the water colored ones!" Sprout yelped, leaping for the bush as Severus looked at Kelsey with questioning and mild anger, but with overall shock.

"I wasted my time seducing you for _THIS_!" He asked furiously, face turning slightly red, and she winced involuntarily at the harshness of the words. She glared at him in defense, and then snickered as Remus asked loudly.

"Severus, did you just admit to trying to seduce Miss Deus? So you really did kiss her and say all those things to her?" He asked incredulously and Severus shook his head in realization of what he had said. Busted.

"What are you talking about Remus? What things did I supposedly say and when did I supposedly kiss her?" Severus asked in anger, his glare falling on her accusingly and not Remus. Remus snickered and yelled out into the students.

"Hey, Mathus, bring me that recorder of yours!" Remus laughed and a boy raced up, handing Remus a tape recorder with a smirk at Severus, then racing back to the relative safety of his table. Remus fumbled with it for a minute and then looked to Kelsey.

"How do you work this blasted thing again?" He asked and Kelsey blushed as she pushed the play button down. Severus's voice was suddenly heard loud and clear throughout the now silent Great Hall.

_"You're very beautiful, you know."_

Kelsey looked at Severus with a smug look and he looked at her with incredulous anger, too stunned to make any type of move. Which was a _good_ thing.

"You recorded me without my knowledge?" He growled in a low, venomous tone and she snickered at him, drawing herself up with dignity.

"Of course not. I had our conversation broadcasted throughout the four common rooms. I didn't even think to record it, seeing as the whole school had heard it anyway." She told him simply and the whole room erupted in laughter.

"So, you didn't really have a crush on me?" He asked quietly, looking quite surprised, and she shook her head at him.

"A crush on you? No, I've got a crush on Remus. Just joking Remus, but no, I don't, didn't, and wouldn't have a crush on you. You are too cruel, unless you want something. Though I have to give you mad props for your acting." She told him with a hint of a comment and he glared hatefully at the whole room, his glare finally setting on her, boring into her with the precision of a thousand needles.

"You know Deus, You're gonna regret this..." He hissed at her with a noticeable threat and she snickered at him.

"Try me." She challenged smugly and he glared at her, turning to stomp out the door and smacking his face into the wooden door from not paying attention in his still shocked state, sending the whole school into another uproar of laughter. The Headmaster was heard whispering "Settle down.", but no conviction was heard in his words. As Severus was walking out the door she yelled once more to him.

"Hey, Sev, next time you want to know something, don't play with someone's emotions. That's kind of painful." She scolded him with amusement and he scoffed at her with indignity, walking out of the room in a whirl of angry black cloaks.

Remus, who was in his glory, cast a Sonorous on the recorder and began to play the conversation over for the third time. Kelsey, feeling righteous on one side and terribly miserable on the other side, fought to enjoy the laughter. Though deep down, she wasn't thoroughly amused by her actions these past days. She was hugged stiffly by Minerva, who had her fun laughing at Severus, something that she couldn't do too often, and Sprout continually jabbered on about the look on Severus's face at the sight of the flower bush that had taken up all his thoughts this whole time.

She wasn't having as much fun as she thought she would have had at the beginning of this endeavor though, and she wondered what Severus was doing now as she witnessed the students re-enacting Severus's hilarious antics throughout the Great Hall. She let go of her remorse though and jumped into the mood, never one to give up a good party if it was within her capability of doing so. Besides, he deserved it... well... some of it...

-----------------------

Severus stood in the hallway adjacent to the one Kelsey's room was off of. He had thought long and hard all night and figured that he could get it out of her by lunch time if he played his cards right. He better...

He heard her coming and composed himself quickly, stepping into the hallway just before she got there. He stopped and looked at her as if he had just been walking this way without knowing.

"Sleep well Kelsey?" He asked her politely as he held his arm out to her expectantly. She smiled as she took it, moving close to him. She involuntarily shivered and he figured she was cold. He had to admit, this particular hallway was a bit frigid.

"Yes, I did. Quite well. You?" She replied to him with a wide smile and he nodded his head, smirking at her smoothly as he allowed her to cling close to his side for warmth.

"As well as to be expected when one can't get someone off of their mind." He told her lowly, not actually lying for he had thought about how to pry information from her all bloody night. He looked at her and she was blushing furiously. He felt a pang of guilt again that he was using this woman's emotions against her, but she had asked for it. If she had just told him what he wanted to know she could have spared herself the eventually emotional pain. It was her own fault, so there.

"Ah." She whispered softly to him, obviously at a loss for words. She was silent and he decided to break the silence before it became awkward. Giving her time to think was not in the plan.

"How did your grading go?" He questioned and she hesitated in her stride a step.

"I got a good amount of them done, but I still have a stack to do." She told him and he had a feeling that she had just collapsed into her bed after leaving his rooms, but he nodded in agreement, snickering to himself.

He opened the Great Hall doors for her, bowing as he had done for dinner before that, figuring that some tricks never lost their touch. He watched her walk toward her seat, ignoring the eyes of the room that seemed fixated on him for some god-knows reason. He noticed that the seat next to hers was occupied and he grumbled as Remus looked at Kelsey with a smirk and she lowered her eyes, blushing again, and then Remus looked at him curiously, a smug smile on his features. Remus snickered and then asked with humor.

"Hey Sev, you want me to move over one so you may sit next to your- I mean, Miss Deus?" Remus asked oddly and Severus saw Kelsey freeze and look over toward her students. Severus, who was confused by both Remus's comment and Kelsey's behavior, stumbled on his words momentarily, though quickly catching himself.

"What- uh, would you?" He asked quickly, and Remus smirked at him.

"Absolutely... not. You'll just have to make eyes at her over my plate." Remus stated and if Severus wasn't trying to figure out how to work around this roadblock he would have most likely hit him. Remus turned back to his seat, smirking. _Always has to make things so bloody difficult..._ Severus growled mentally, ready to tear into the man. Suddenly Kelsey was speaking to Remus in a soft tone of voice.

"Uh, Remus, then would perhaps switch seats with me?" She pleaded with him and Severus watched as Remus looked at her with a smirk.

"Hm... You are closer to the sausage... Hm... Torture Snape... Feed myself... Torture... food... Food!" Remus rationalized with himself and jumped over to her chair, digging into the food with the grace of a hungry boar. Severus shook his head and walked over to the seat and pulled Remus's seat out for her, scooting it in for her as he smiled down at her. He heard Remus snicker and begin to comment.

"Awww... How sw-" Remus began and Severus glared at him as he cut him off immediately, not in the mood for his snarky comments.

"Can it, Lupin." He barked sharply, seeing Kelsey shake her head. Severus took the seat next to her and smiled at her sweetly, ignoring the werewolf. He watched as she began eating and he began his own breakfast, occasionally pulling her into conversation but she didn't seem awake enough to keep up, nor too interested, which worried him slightly. He had to keep her fixed enough upon him to get what he wanted, or he would go nuts.

She put her glass of orange juice down as Sprout walked over next to her, getting her attention and his as well quite quickly.

"Hello dearie, I was wondering if you had that spell done yet. I am really excited to see a demonstration of it." He heard the small woman ask excitedly and he practically perched on the edge of his seat, trying to overhear the conversation to the point of perfection.

"Actually, I tweaked it a bit last night, so it may do different colors now the way we wanted it to." Kelsey replied and Sprout clapped her hands with enjoyment. Severus wondered if she had indeed gone straight to bed as he had surmised earlier. Maybe if he had walked her to her room he would have had a chance of getting it from her...

_Hindsight is twenty/twenty..._ He mused as he listened to Sprout intently.

"Oh goodie! When do you think you'll be able to perform it?" The hyper woman questioned Kelsey and she frowned at her.

"I don't know if I am strong enough to do it again. It took a lot out of me last night. I had to drag myself out of bed this morning. And if not for food, and good company, I would have stayed in bed." She replied sadly. Severus quailed slightly, knowing that if he didn't say something now, another chance wouldn't come along in a good while to finally sate his curiosity. Severus heard Remus smirk at the good company part and was about to say something degrading when he spied Kelsey kicking him under the table. He looked at her with indignance and went back to his meal. Severus had to admit, Kelsey had some authority to her. Points to her.

"I could do it for you Kelsey." Severus injected into their conversation, seizing the opportunity to learn this spell. He turned to look at him, worry spilled plainly over her face.

"Oh no, I couldn't let you. If it backfired, I would never forgive myself." She explained to him and he put his hand up to silence her, sitting straight with confidence as he vainly tried to convince her.

"If you tried it, it would most surely backfire on you and I would feel guilty for not preventing such an accident. After all, you look exhausted. And obviously Sprout needs to see it." He told her gently, urging her on without as much pleading as possible, and Kelsey still shook her head at him.

"No, no, I couldn't possibly, because if something happened I would be the one to blame." She stated sternly and he shook his head, trying to get it across that her that she would not be to blame for his curiosity. At least, not at this moment, for he really wanted to know, and this was the perfect time. He wasn't going to let up anytime soon.

"I would never blame you." He told her tenderly as he reached out and softly touched her shoulder, trying to persuade her and remove her worry the best way he knew how.

"But-" She began but she was cut off by Minerva, who had walked up into the conversation.

_They all have no idea that they are helping me... oh the sweet beauty of this irony... _Severus thought smugly as he listened to the Transfiguration teacher with a smirk.

"I too am earnest to see this spell, why not allow Severus to do it for you? He has strong enough magic in him to perform some of the most complicated spells." Minerva stated sternly and with that authority known best to her, and he watched as Kelsey hung her head in defeat. He almost felt bad about all this pressure, but, once again, she could have prevented it had she told him in the first place. There was no turning back now.

"If it backfires, don't say I didn't warn anyone." She whispered, keeping her head lowered and Severus squeezed her shoulder with approval, a sense of accomplishment and eagerness swelling in his mind.

"I will not blame you for a mishap." He told her firmly and tenderly at the same time. He was starting to feel a bit guilty for the way he was playing her, she was so gullible, and it was saddening!

"Ok, the spell is '_Aquam Archis Floris'._ All you have to do before the spell is want it to work. You have to really, really want it. It's safe enough to do in here, for any backfires hit the individual, not all the people around them." Kelsey told him in a nervous whisper, and he nodded, smirking as he stood with eagerness, drawing his wand. He had wanted to do this since he had heard her, that part would be no problem at all.

He backed away from everybody, not wanting anyone to get hit with a backfiring spell. He saw Remus whisper something to Kelsey and she replied, but he was too intent on the spell at hand. This was his moment of glory. Severus had a five foot radius clear around him and most of the great Hall as an audience now, though he didn't care, actually kind of enjoying it, and he took a deep breath full of anticipation.

"_Aquam Archis Floris..._" He stated with power, wanting the spell to work and for him not to be harmed and thrown across the room as he braced himself. To his surprise though, before him now sprouted a multicolored rosebush in full bloom, standing almost as tall as he was.

_This may be a mishap or else I said it wrong..._ He thought desperately, or that was until Sprout spoke with excitement.

"Kelsey, you are a genius! Look you even got the water colored ones!" Sprout yelped, leaping for the bush. Suddenly that feeling of accomplishment and joy, sunk faster than a rock. Severus looked at Kelsey with questioning anger, shocked beyond belief that his whole mind had been dwelling upon this one thing. This was what he had been working hard for a yesterday and this morning. A bush, a _rosebush._ With different colored blooms!

"I wasted my time seducing you for _THIS_!" He asked her furiously, face turning slightly red in anger, as he watched her flinch. And with good reason. She turned her face to glare in her seeming defense and Severus was about ask something else when Remus spoke in usual obnoxiously loud manner, making Kelsey snicker.

"Severus, did you just admit to trying to seduce Miss Deus? So you really did kiss her and say all those things to her?" Remus asked incredulously and Severus stopped and shook his head in realization of what he had just exclaimed said. He paled further than what he normally was, eyes wide. He was so busted.

_But wait, Remus wasn't here last night and didn't have time to talk to Kelsey for her to tell him about that kiss... Oh well, I can always deny it, they have no proof..._ He mused with a glimmer of hope as he glared accusingly at Kelsey, somehow feeling at the end of some horrible joke.

"What are you talking about Remus? What things did I supposedly say and when did I supposedly kiss her?" Severus asked in anger and denial, staring at him. Remus snickered and yelled out into the students.

"Hey, Mathus, bring me that recorder of yours!" Remus laughed and a boy raced up, handing Remus a black box with a smirk at Severus, then racing back to the relative safety of his table. Severus knew who that child was and now had plans for the worst detention ever, as soon as this was all figured out of course. He watched intently as Remus fumbled with buttons on the box, frozen still in place by his own surprise.

"How do you work this blasted thing again?" Severus watched him and she blushed as she pushed a button down. Severus suddenly heard his own voice come out of the machine and echo though the silent hall.

_"You're very beautiful, you know."_

Severus wanted to smack himself as she looked at Kelsey, in shock and wanting to smack her even more. She had the smuggest look in her face and he was in a near rage, though he was too stunned to even pull up his wand.

"You recorded me without my knowledge?" He growled at her in a low, venomous tone and she snickered at him, drawing herself up with dignity. Oh, how he wanted to curse her to the point where she couldn't even kneel in front of him in mercy... that would be oh so pleasant...

"Of course not. I had our conversation broadcasted throughout the four common rooms. I didn't even think to record it, seeing as the whole school had heard it anyway." She told him simply and he looked at her with shock as the whole room erupted in laughter, their voices swirling through his mind.

_Oh my god, she had been playing me for the fool, not the other way around..._ Severus came to the grim realization as he asked his next question lowly and with even more surprise than he intended.

"So, you didn't really have a crush on me?" He asked her quietly, quite surprised that he was now the fool, and she shook her head at him with a smirk.

"A crush on you? No, I've got a crush on Remus. Just joking Remus, but no, I don't, didn't, and wouldn't have a crush on you. You are too cruel, unless you want something. Though I have to give you mad props for your acting." She told him and he glared at the laughing room with hate, his gaze finally setting on her. Inside he was bursting with anger and on the outside too, for more than the one reason he knew though.

"You know Deus, You're gonna regret this..." He threatened her with a hiss and she snickered.

"Try me." She challenged him once again smugly and he glared at her. He knew that this battle he had lost, but he would retreat to later win the war, no doubt about it. He turned to stomp out of the room and slammed face first into the wooden door, stars dancing in front of his eyes. There was uproar of laughter and he internally snarled as he grabbed his face, flushing red slightly with more than just physical hurt. The Headmaster mumbled something, of which no one took heed of, and Severus knew that the old coot was probably enjoying this as much as the next person. He growled to himself, making sure there wasn't a door in the way and stalking away down the hall. Kelsey's voice called to him once more, and he spun to look at her with hatred.

"Hey, Sev, next time you want to know something, don't play with someone's emotions. That's kind of painful." She scolded him with amusement in her voice and he scoffed at her with indignity, walking out of the room in a whirl of angry black cloaks, fighting to ignore the laughter that bore into his hurt pride. He stormed to his room, angrily slamming the door, not liking the being made a mockery of.

"How dare she!" He snarled loudly to the walls and he flung himself on the couch in frustration. He sat there in anger until it subsided a few minutes later and he ran over the events in his head. Where he thought he was in control, he was once again being puppeted and had had no idea of it! The thought of her cruel intentions bothered him greatly, more on an indignance level than any though. He thought about her words of having a crush on him and he growled, feeling slightly disappointed, though he knew he shouldn't have. He sighed as he rubbed his forehead.

"I have to admit. She is good at what she does. And why should I be disappointed that she doesn't honestly like me, after all it was just supposed to be a simple seduction..."

---------------------------------

_**Finis**_

Now that you have read, you have to review.. It is a curse, if you don't review, the screw in your belly button will fall out and your ass will fall off... I'm serious... have I ever lied to you?...  
LOL, couldn't help it...  
Now, read and Review...

Deep Shadows


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